Burnham: ‘Winter of great flooding’ could be on its way
As south west England deals with the aftermath of Storm Austen, Andy Burnham said the United Kingdom could face “a winter of greater flooding”.
The prime minister was asked if the Government was playing catch-up with civil preparedness as he attended a summit organised to learn from the summer’s record wildfires.
A second storm, Storm Boelo will bring disruption across the UK on Saturday.
Burnham told reporters on Friday: “No, we are having the conversation with people about being better prepared because we’re living in a world where unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common.
“Obviously weather events – and we’re in a situation today where the UK is facing storms, and obviously we feel for the people without power in Cornwall right now – it is just having those supplies in the house to get you through those moments.
“So we are having that conversation about resilience. That’s why we’re holding this summit today, it’s why we’re putting the guidance out to the public.
“We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it’s about recognising all of those risks and taking action.”
Key events
Summary
As we approach 4pm, here’s a roundup of todays news.
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Andy Burnham has warned of a “winter of greater flooding” as the country prepares for a second storm to hit the UK at the weekend.
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South west England is recovering from the effects of Storm Austen on Thursday and Friday.
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Burnham told reporters on Friday “we potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding” as he addressed a wildfire summit.
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He said Britain needs to be on the “front foot” when it comes to fires which damaged dozens of homes across the country this summer, most notably in Stourbridge in the West Midlands.
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The government has continued to tell people that they should prepare 72 hours worth of supplies at home, including a torch and radio.
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The prime minister did not follow Angela Rayner’s lead, who said her emergency supplies would include mascara and wine, but said his crisis staples were beans, soup and twiglets.
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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the government should focus on “looking after us” rather than urging people to stockpile.
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Burnham will appear on Channel 4 this evening on Gogglebox as part of the Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser.
That’s all for today, thanks for following along.
As the government continues to talk about the importance of building up supplies at home in case of an emergency, Andy Burnham has told BBC Radio 5 Live what would be in his essentials.
According to the prime minister it’s baked beans, soup and twiglets making up his crisis store. In fact Burnham said he “can’t get by for too long” the marmite-flavour rod-shaped crisps.
Asked on BBC Radio 5 whether, like Angela Rayner, he would make sure his emergency supplies included a bottle of sauvignon blanc, Burnham said: “I’m not sure a bottle of wine is your best first port of call if you’re in a slightly crisis situation, but it probably helps when you’ve done the hard work.
“I’ll stick to the basics, I think. I do like my beans, so I have plenty of those in the cupboard and soup. I think those are the kind of things that I would recommend people to have as well as well as Twiglets. I’m not sure I can get by for too long without those.”
Burnham of course has already shown a keen interest in crisps, making a video with chancellor John Healey in the days after getting into number 10.
He and Healey rated their favourite crisps from a selection provided, with the PM deciding McCoy’s Salt and Vinegar beat the pub staples pork scratchings and scampi fries to take his top spot. Twiglets were not an option.
The Scottish Greens remain open to joining the SNP in government again, the party’s co-leader has said.
Speaking in Inverness ahead of his party’s conference, Ross Greer, asked if the Greens would join an SNP government again, told PA: “The short answer to that is yes. The Greens believe that the public expect politicians to cooperate together to actually get stuff done where that’s possible. Where we disagree, we’re going to do it really, really robustly.”
Andy Burnham has rather light-heartedly defended the length of his answers at PMQs when presented with statistics suggesting he takes much longer the predecessors to make his points.
PA reports that after being told by BBC Radio 5 Live’s Matt Chorley that his answers were “up to 50%” longer than those of his near predecessors in the role, the prime minister said:
People can be the judge, can’t they? I try and answer people’s questions and I give them a proper answer rather than dismissing what they say. If that makes me a little longer than others, well, so be it. Don’t people want politicians to answer the question?
I feel they do but I’m only – what is it, four or five PMQs in? – I will always take all kinds of feedback but I’m not going to change the approach that I’ve taken so far which is to answer people’s questions, focus on problem solving rather than point scoring. I was praising the Leader of the opposition at PMQs last week, maybe that made my answer longer.
Alexandra Topping
Political correspondent Lexy Topping has taken a step back to look at Andy Burnham’s approach to governing since entering No 10. The key, it seems, is ‘everyday fixes’ to win public support.
In the past week Andy Burnham has vowed to clamp down on social pariahs blaring out TikTok videos on public transport, outlaw “rip-off” private car park fines and – on Thursday – fill in potholes in 7,000 miles of England’s roads.
Before that, as part of the focus on “everyday fixes”, the prime minister announced a plan to remove VAT from electricity bills, a £2 cap on single bus fares across England and take action on “auto-renew” subscriptions. There’s also promises to crack down on pricey branded school uniforms, ban specious discounts, limit vape and betting shops and stop airlines charging families to sit together on planes. At this rate all minor annoyances in the UK will be eradicated by Christmas.
The idea is simple, says one policy adviser. “People expect the government to be able to do something about things which are unfair – big or small,” they said. “It sends a message that the government is on people’s side, its ready to act, and it can genuinely make a difference.”
Ahead of next week’s budget the Guardian is giving you the chance to step into John Healey’s shoes and see what measures you would put into his red box next week.
Our ‘You be the Chancellor’ game allows you to make a series of decisions, and see how it would affect the government’s fiscal headroom on Wednesday. Meanwhile the markets and polls will react to your policies.
As the former king of the BBC’s election swingometer Peter Snow used to say, just a bit of fun.
Kemi Badenoch has waded into the preparedness debate and said ministers should “look after us” rather than just giving advice.
She told the Press Association during a visit to Cheshire constabulary headquarters that many people in rural areas already take precautions because they have no shops nearby.
Badenoch said: “We have power cuts on occasion, and if you’re in the middle of nowhere, it’s dark and cold. You do need to look after yourself.
“What I want to see is the government doing what it needs to do to look after us.
“The Defence Secretary is talking about stockpiling, but he won’t tell us if he’s found the money to pay for our defence.
“We need him to be looking after this country, manning the borders, ensuring the soldiers have all the equipment that they need.”
She later added: “I don’t mind them giving advice. I worry that between the prime minister being on Gogglebox and then talking about stockpiling canned goods, they’re not actually doing the really difficult stuff that will protect the country.”
Polly Toynbee
In a comment piece, Polly Toynbee has said London Assembly member Andrew Boff, who resigned from the Conservative party this week, is a sign of where the party’s future should be.
The chair of the London Assembly, Andrew Boff, resigned this week from the Conservative party after 53 years of membership. He quit after being blocked from entering the race to be Tory candidate for London mayor because he supports the European convention on human rights (ECHR), putting him at odds with Kemi Badenoch’s hardline position.
Messages of support for one of the capital’s longest-serving Conservative politicians quickly poured in from fellow Tories. Gavin Barwell, Theresa May’s Downing Street chief of staff, has backed Boff, warning Badenoch that others would follow him over the ECHR edict. But the rest sent messages privately, not daring to reveal themselves under a leadership that doesn’t tolerate dissent. In an interview last year, Badenoch decreed that rebels “should not and cannot stand as a Conservative candidate” if they do not agree with leaving the ECHR. She also bars anyone supporting net zero.
When Boff applied, for the seventh time, to be considered as Conservative candidate for London mayor, he didn’t really expect to be selected – but nor did he expect to be summoned to be told he was barred from entering the race. In a statement he pointed to the fact that Winston Churchill helped found the ECHR after the second world war, arguing “it was never a leftwing project” but a “safeguard against arbitrary government”. What’s more, he points out to me, the “convention doesn’t even mention asylum seekers”, Badenoch’s main justification for leaving the treaty.
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Andy Burnham has said the final decision on the Rosebank oil field will be “done properly” when asked about the potential for an approval to be overturned by the courts.
It comes after ministers gave the go-ahead to the Jackdaw gasfield, 150 miles east of Aberdeen in Scotland, after years of uncertainty and a court case.
The decision drew criticism from some Labour backbenchers and environmentalists, while Conservatives called on the government to also approve the Rosebank oilfield, west of Shetland in Scotland’s north.
Asked about the possibility of courts overturning a Rosebank approval, Burnham said on Friday: “Well, that’s a decision that will be taken in due course.
“What we have done this week is taken great care over the decision about Jackdaw because it wasn’t done properly in the past, and that led to the decision being struck down.
“What people can be certain about is things will be done properly going forward.
“And in relation to Jackdaw, people will question: Was that the right decision? It is going to be a bridge to a renewable future?
“The funds that it will release will be able to go into building out that clean energy system that the country needs, which is a further part of our national resilience going forward.”
A DUP minister has said he is confident MP Carla Lockhart will stay in the party despite leaving its main decision-making body amid a row with party leadership over the future of Stormont.
Lockhart is at odds with DUP leader, fellow MP Gavin Robinson, over whether the party should withdraw deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly from the power-sharing executive.
Lockhart has argued that the party should pull Little-Pengelly from her post as it would automatically remove Sinn Féin first minister Michelle O’Neill from her position in the joint office they lead together.
Such a step would effectively collapse the devolved administration in Belfast. However other individual departmental ministers would remain in post and the Northern Ireland assembly would continue to sit for a further six months.
Lockhart believes the party should no longer serve alongside O’Neill after the Sinn Féin vice-president took part in an allegedly unlawful protest on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown last month.
Education minister Paul Given told BBC Radio Ulster: “Carla bleeds DUP just like I do, and of course it’s disappointing that she felt not able to remain as a party officer.
“But I very much welcome her remaining within the DUP because she is a valued member of our party, and I know that she’ll continue to make an important contribution to the party and in leading people in Upper Bann.”
There has been a few lighthearted moments from Andy Burnham’s comments to the press today.
Burnham will appear on Channel 4’s Gogglebox tonight as part of a Stand Up to Cancer fundraiser.
According to the Press Association, when asked about his views on the Celebrity Traitors so far, the prime minister said: “Well, obviously, I would say that politicians have got a lot to offer to those who are looking for tactics in relation to The Traitors.”
Burnham, who seized power from Sir Keir Starmer after plotting to be prime minister for more than a year, added: “I think we can spot faithfuls and traitors a mile off.
“Our profession teaches us to do that, but it’s a great programme.
“It’s a great example of how strong British broadcasting is, and of course the BBC.”
Meanwhile he responded to housing secretary Angela Rayner’s suggestion wine and mascara would be in her emergency supplies kit, after the government recommended people to prepare, Burnham said: “I’m not sure that that’s the top of the list in terms of the advice that we’re giving to the to the public.
“You need to have a clear head when it comes to a challenging situation.
“So yeah, some tins of food, some bottled water. But I’m sure people are allowed a glass or two as well to get them through a difficult situation.”
Burnham: ‘Winter of great flooding’ could be on its way
As south west England deals with the aftermath of Storm Austen, Andy Burnham said the United Kingdom could face “a winter of greater flooding”.
The prime minister was asked if the Government was playing catch-up with civil preparedness as he attended a summit organised to learn from the summer’s record wildfires.
A second storm, Storm Boelo will bring disruption across the UK on Saturday.
Burnham told reporters on Friday: “No, we are having the conversation with people about being better prepared because we’re living in a world where unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common.
“Obviously weather events – and we’re in a situation today where the UK is facing storms, and obviously we feel for the people without power in Cornwall right now – it is just having those supplies in the house to get you through those moments.
“So we are having that conversation about resilience. That’s why we’re holding this summit today, it’s why we’re putting the guidance out to the public.
“We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it’s about recognising all of those risks and taking action.”
Britain needs to be on ‘front foot’ on wildfires
Andy Burnham is addressing the wildfire summit in north west England after a summer which saw homes destroyed by fires during the record-breaking heat.
Burnham visited Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, days after fires wreaked havoc in streets on the edge of the Black Country town in August.
He said Britain needs to be on the “front foot” and that the country had been playing “catch up” for too long.
The prime minister said he expected similar summers going forward.
He told the summit: “I think too often in the past we’ve been playing catch up, and today is trying about trying to get on the front foot and recognise that the summer we’ve just had is likely to be a more regular situation going forward. So make ourselves that bit stronger when it comes to the summer of 2027, and then indeed summers beyond.”
He earlier told journalists: “We lived through a summer that we’ve never seen before, with so many wildfires across the country. Fire and rescue services were stretched, firefighters working extremely difficult conditions, and it was right in that moment to commit to this summit, and today we’re making good on that, but also making some initial steps to improve our response because we will have to plan for summers like this going forward.
“So firstly: better equipment for our firefighters, particularly the PPE, more appropriate to working in very hot summer conditions because it’s very punishing work what they did this summer.
“Secondly, aerial support: so we may see on holiday other countries where there are planes putting water from above on the fires. We believe we need that capability. The Ministry of Defence will be equipping aircraft with that capability, so we’ll be better prepared for summers to come.
“Then thirdly: just better management of the land, so that fire doesn’t get the ability to spread. Those are the early commitments, but the summit will give us more as we go through it today, and people can be sure that we will be even better prepared next summer.”
Andy Burnham has said he believes indefinite leave to remain needs to be “earned through contribution”, but stopped short of committing to all of home secretary Shabana Mahmood’s immigration and citizenship reforms.
There has been speculation that Mahmood’s plans to double the amount of time care workers will need to live in Britain before claiming indefinite leave to remain will be watered down under pressure from Labour MPs.
Currently the wait is five years, but Mahmood said it should be raised to ten.
Burnham said: “We’re in a position where we’ve been consulting on those reforms, and we will come forward with our decisions soon.
“But I strongly support the Home Secretary when she says that settlement is a right to be earned through contribution, and that will be the principle that guides our reforms.”
Foreign secretary Ed Miliband is in Turkey today as he is set to join talks on the strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia.
Ministers from Britain, France and Germany as well as Italy, will meet in Turkey to discuss issues in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt will also attend.
The UK said this week it would extend its military support for the Saudis, providing British fighter jets to shoot down Houthi drones and missiles fired into the kingdom.
Miliband will use the talks to point to Iranian tactics being replicated, including with Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia putting pressure on the maritime choke points of Bab El-Mandeb and the Suez canal.
Andy Burnham is “determined” to introduce the tourist tax across the country and could overrule councils and elected mayors, the Times has reported.
Burnham told an online meeting of mayors he wanted to counter the “negative” atmosphere around the overnight visitor levy. It has received some opposition from the hospitality sector and some mayors.
According to the Times, the prime minister told the National Economic Council: “If the mayor’s name is linked to a tax, it shouldn’t be the case that they’re not able then to pursue what is a mayoral ambition.
“So I think the rewiring of the state needs to clean out this a bit more as we go forward … We’ve got to get the brakes off growth basically and that’s something I’m determined to do.”
As Wes Streeting and James Murray have been recommending in the last 24 hours, the Government is advising people to stockpile supplies for three days.
Have you been persuaded to follow this advice? The Guardian would like to speak to you about what you have in your cupboard, and what other items you have in case of emergency.
Andy Burnham has been meeting armed forces veterans and Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal collectors to mark the start of the year’s campaign.
Burnham welcomed them to Number 10 North’s office in central Manchester, contrary to the usual convention of making a donation to the cause on the steps of Number 10 in Downing Street.
Good morning from London, where we’re less than a week from Andy Burnham and John Healey’s first budget, and the Government has been telling people to build up 72 hours of supplies in case of a disaster. We’ll be bringing you updates throughout the day. I’m Harry Taylor.
The Government has said that will not be putting together a “shopping list” for the public to buy in anticipation of a disaster, despite launching a campaign on Thursday which told people to stock up on supplies.
Treasury minister James Murray has been on the broadcast round this morning where has been asked about the announcement yesterday that people should assemble three days of supplies.
It’s come after repeated warnings in the last 18 months about cyber-attacks from overseas that could affect key systems.
It’s also timely as 32 Government services were taken offline yesterday after millions of attempts to exploit a weakness in numerous’ websites coding.
However Murray told Times Radio this morning: “This is not about the Government sending out a shopping list to everyone in the country.
“This is about putting the right information there on the government website, having an information campaign so that people are aware about it and then people taking the right choices for themselves about what they need to make sure they have supplies of at home.”
Meanwhile it’s five days until Healey’s budget, and Murray was asked on BBC Radio 4 whether he would be reducing red tape for business.
He said cutting “pointless bureaucracy” was “at the heart of what the Chancellor is going to be thinking about”.
Healey said the Treasury would aim to cut £800m of red tape for businesses at the budget, including reduced reporting requirements.